


tell me where he is

by skuls



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 05:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10610340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skuls/pseuds/skuls
Summary: Mulder's missing after a case. Scully finds him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Original post: https://how-i-met-your-mulder.tumblr.com/post/153735925260/this-will-be-a-weirdly-specific-promptbut

Fear has been crawling steadily up her spine, like a parasitic worm in Alaska, for the past four hours. She’s shoved her gun in more than one person’s face, has yelled at her boss in front of everyone. The suspect is already in custody; she just wants to find her partner. 

“Mulder!” she shouts, gun held out like an extension of her arm, voice echoing off the warehouse walls. (She remembers the echo of his voice in a similar warehouse, pain shooting through his eyes, and the following soft sob in his voice as he’d whispered _Scully?_ when she’d turned away from Linda Bowman, like he couldn’t believe it.) “Mulder!” she shouts again, louder than the other agents behind her.

Somewhere, a muffled, “Scully?”

Relief shoots through her. “Mulder?” she calls. 

“I’m in here!” 

There’s a door around the next corner. Scully fumbles for the keys Skinner had handed her before entering the warehouse and unlocks the door clumsily as soon as one slides into the lock. Mulder’s crouched in the corner, handcuffed to a pipe. 

She can’t get to him fast enough, going down on her knees in front of him, hands going to his face immediately. “Are you okay?” she whispers frantically, cupping his cheek.

“I’m okay.” He forces a grin without any real joy behind it. “Took you long enough,” he teases, nudging her side with his elbow clumsily. His hand flies out at an old angle, fingers brushing her cheek, and she shivers.

She sifts his hair through her fingers to check for any bumps. “Did he hit you over the head?” Her hand moves to his forehead. She’s kissed him there.

“No - chloroform, I think.”

The symptoms of chloroform shoot through her mind - dizziness, nausea, death in some severe cases. She won’t leave him tonight, not until she knows for certain he’s okay. She unlocks the handcuffs, and he rubs his wrists gratefully. As soon as he’s free, she hugs him hard, leaning her face into the crook of his shoulder, his pulse against her forehead. He’s kissed her there.  

He’s surprised, his arms coming up around her gingerly, like they’re both young, newly assigned partners and it’s just mosquito bites. “Scully,” he whispers, bewildered and almost amused. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“I know.” She’d expected him to be dead, even after the suspect swore up and down that he’d left him alive when threatened with the death penalty. _Tell me where he is. He’s my partner and I’m not fucking around with his life,_ she’d coldly informed the suspect in the interrogation room, cool and collected. She’s not the type to shout and throw people against the wall - people find her silence and eerie calm more intimidating. She can hold it together there. It’s only here that she’ll let herself fall apart. 

He holds her tightly now, nose turned into her hair. “Missed me, huh?” he teases, and she recognizes it as his own attempt not to fall apart. She knows she’ll drive him home tonight, knows she’ll probably insist on staying over to keep an eye on him, doesn’t expect him to protest. 

Someone clears their throat behind them. “Agents.”

She doesn’t want to let go, but she does, helping Mulder up as she turns to face Skinner. “Sir,” she replies, not letting go of his hand. 

“How are you, Agent Mulder?”

“I’m fine, sir,” Mulder says, the tremble in his voice almost unnoticeable, almost. “I can give my statement…”

“Tomorrow,” Scully interjects. “Even if you’re not hurt, Mulder, you must be exhausted. You need to go home and get some sleep.” 

“Agent Scully’s right,” Skinner says, not unkindly. “Underwood’s in custody. You can give your statement in the morning.” 

He nods in acknowledgement. “Thank you, sir.”

Skinner leaves them alone in favor of the other agents sweeping the room. A few of them are staring. Scully ignores them. “I’ll drive you home,” she offers - questioningly, in case he needs space.

“Okay.” He squeezes her hand gratefully, and then moves back like he expects her to let go. She holds on tighter as they exit the room. Anchors him to her. Right now, she doesn’t particularly care what people think of her. All that matters is that he’s safe.

She kisses his cheek outside of the warehouse where no one can see them, relief still emanating from her. It’s the most she’ll allow herself. He smiles unsteadily and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear in return.


End file.
